In terms of my weeks in the mission, last week had to be one of my best. My Dad let me know last week that I need to write more stuff to my mom, so I've been keeping a list of things that happened this week. First, I’ll talk about the funny things, and then I will talk about some spiritual things.
About the funny stuff—I want to explain a little bit about where I'm living, and I'm not complaining—this is all stuff I think is funny about living here. I live in Isla de Maipo with my companion Elder Brown and with another companionship, an Elder from Uruguay who's training Elder Bradley, and for the last 4 weeks our toilet hasn't had a lid. It makes it pretty brutal sometimes because you have to squat. Believe me you have to find some courage to use the bathroom in the mornings. Where we live is pretty nice, and it’s a house, but just the bathroom is bad. It’s always wet. (I won't say any more about that.) We work in the Islita de Maipo, which is a little bit away, but we have bikes like I've already said, and I've had so many bugs fly in my mouth and face its ridiculous. In our ward we have two other missionaries (Warrick and Brophy), and they're awesome! Last week this kid named Nico came over to their house during personal study. Elder Warrick told him that he had to leave because they have things to do, and long story short he got mad threw eggs at their house, then he went home and took his medication. Later that day he apologized and offered them almuerzo. They went over to his house to eat some pasta, and he ended up going to all the lessons that day, which was awesome. So yeah, random stuff like that happens on the mission. We have a facebook page bty Mom, Rama La Islita.
About the spiritual things—some things have been changing with me. I read this talk a little over a week ago that my comp. has (and mom I want you to send me a copy if you can) called “The 4th Missionary.” It breaks missionaries down into 4 groups. The first one is unworthy, gets the MTC or in the field feels guilty or unhappy, and goes home. The second one is also unworthy and gets out to the mission field and can’t do anything but think about home and all the good things that he left, but he ends up staying and being a problem his whole mission. But the 3rd and 4th missionary are practically the same. They serve for a full two years and baptize people, reactivate people, and from the outside both are awesome missionaries but inside the 3rd missionary isn't happy. He gets happiness from the numbers and from comparison, and he also can never forget about the life he left and all the good things he left at home. He conforms his will but he does it grudgingly and doesn’t change. He's doing what he should, but what he should do isn't what he WANTS to do and for that he isn't happy. And it’s pretty harsh because it quotes in Moroni 7 which says: “For behold, God hath said a man being evil cannot do that which is good; for if he offereth a gift [two years], or prayeth unto God, except he shall do it with real intent it profiteth him nothing. For behold, it is not counted unto him for righteousness. For behold, if a man being evil giveth a gift, he doeth it grudgingly; wherefore it is counted unto him the same as if he had retained the gift; wherefore he is counted evil before God.” I added the [two years]. This hit me so hard because that was me the first three months of my mission, and I could serve two years like that and literally receive nothing. I’ve prayed every day that I’ll want to be here more for a pure desire than for the responsibility/duty. I’ve prayed to love the people more completely as a way to be more like Jesus and as a way to show my love for Heavenly Father. I’ve changed. That doesn’t mean I don't have bad days, but as I have given God my desires, I have been so happy. I don’t just want to work as missionaries do, I want to be a missionary in my heart and mind and every part of me.
And now a little bit on Elder Nelson (eeek I don't have much time) so I met him, I shook his hand and he talked to us. It was the first time that I've seen a general authority speak since the then Elder Monson spoke forever ago at a Boy Scouts thing. He and his wife were amazing. They talked about the plan of salvation, but obviously in a lot deeper way for missionaries. Sister Nelson talked about the plan of salvation pretty much said that when we have those really hard days if we could see ourselves in the pre-mortal life we would know with a perfect knowledge that we could do it. She also said that we were preordained to do a whole list of things, and one of those things was go on a mission. She also said that when were not doing those things on that list we feel like there’s something missing and when we are doing what’s on the list we feel peace and confidence. I think that applies to our investigators, obviously, and with ourselves when we’re following the commandments. I think that we have to be working on those things even in the mission achieving more because that’s what God has planned. Elder Neslon talked about the Abrahamic covenant. I learned so much it was funny though, because right in the middle he was just stopped and started talking about marriage and how we have to marry someone like the mission presidents’ wives and then continued. It was an amazing experience.
Okay, I hope that was enough Mom, and even though I’ve got some other stuff to say my eyes are kinda going bad from writing too much, so I’m done.
Love you,
Elder Walker
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| Mom, I'm happy, I just want you to know that. Also, that I'm not starving!! Haha. |
